Stevenage: Election reaction from new MP Kevin Bonavia

We sat down with him, moments after his victory was announced, for an exclusive interview.

How does it feel to have been elected as Stevenage's MP?

"It feels like a huge honour, biggest honour of my life. But it also feels like an awesome responsibility.

"The hard work now really begins, and I can't wait to get stuck in, but it's going to be a lot of work, I know that."

Was the number of votes you received as high as you perhaps hoped it might be?

"Absolutely. I was fighting for a win, and we've had a very clear win tonight.

"I know I've got a mandate now to deliver on my promises, on my personal pledges about the kind of MP I want to be, and to deliver on the Labour manifesto, which is a manifesto for change that this country has desperately needed for so long."

Some people have suggested the support for Labour this election is widespread but shallow. What would you say to those who think you may not offer real change?

"That's not the feeling I've been getting on the doors. There's no question, there's been a distrust in politics in the last few years, standards in public life have fallen, and that's affected all politicians, and that's not healthy.

"Anybody who wants to go into politics needs to be given a fair hearing, and that's not been the case. A lot of people have to be persuaded that politicians can be different, they can work for them, they can make a difference for their lives.

"We've had a really strong, positive campaign in Stevenage, they've seen local councillors deliver for them, I hope they've seen a very active and energetic candidate and that's what I want to bring to service as our town's MP."

How did you find it being out on the doorsteps?

"I loved it. I really, really enjoy it, because I love meeting people. Many people, including people who like their politics, get it from TV, online, newspapers, but I get it through speaking with people, and there are many people in politics who like the politics but don't actually like people that much!

"I do, because you learn something new all the time about their experiences, and you also learn something about yourself. That's what's really spurred me on. These last six weeks we've spoken to many, many thousands of people. Over the year and a half as a candidate, I've spoken to several thousand people myself.

"And it's great now, in the last few weeks I've been seeing them again and again, and you're building those relationships with people.

"That's what's going to make a difference, if people know they've got an MP who is accessible, who will listen to them - may not always agree, but I'm prepared to change my mind.

"When I see somebody who has gone through something I haven't, that will make me think carefully about what we need for our town, and what we need for our country too."

Your pledge to be a full-time, hardworking, accessible MP was a key part of your campaign. What does that look like in practice, and what difference will it make for people in Stevenage?

"I'll be frank, the previous incumbent [Stephen McPartland], I don't know when he drifted off, but he, for whatever reasons, was not a full time MP.

"He didn't have those events you need to have, whether it's an office or surgeries, that I think people are entitled to expect.

"I get it, you've got to be secure and careful about how you do these things, but the worst thing we can do in our democracy is to shut ourselves away from the people we want to represent, and that's not my style.

"I want to be open and approachable. I've really enjoyed touring our constituency, I've particularly enjoyed the public meetings we've held across the town and our villages. It's old style politics maybe, but I think there's a place for that in a modern society too."

Were there any other memorable moments from the campaign?

"In the last six weeks, there are so many personal stories, I mentioned a few of them in my acceptance speech this evening.

"Today alone, the last one I can think of, I was having a conversation with a family. It was a mum and a dad, and their 19-year-old son, who had hoped to go into medicine but is now training to be a nurse, and they were worried about all kinds of things.

"They were worried about their family finances, they were worried about what's going to happen with their pensions, they were worried about their sons future, and when he was going to get a home.

"Stevenage was built by a Labour government in a housing crisis to give families homes, and what hope do this generation have? That's what I really want to fight for."

I'm sure you're probably aware that Andrew Lewin has unseated Grant Shapps in Welwyn Hatfield ...

"That's fantastic news. Andrew has been a long time friend of mine, he's a man of integrity and he's a man I know is going to work very hard, so that's great to have next door to us in Stevenage - an ally.

"An ally in parliament, but an ally in our county too, because there are some issues I want to take up with Hertfordshire County Council, that are county-wide, and we need a strong cohort of hard-working Labour MPs that are going to challenge the council and help make it better."

What does it say about the current state of Labour and the Conservatives that your party is so strong in our part of Hertfordshire at the moment?

"There's no question, Labour's on the up, the Tories are on the way down. That's obvious, but you need to look under that a bit more, you need to see why that has happened.

"From a party that was crowing about its big victory in 2019, that is crashing to a historic defeat, we have to ask why did that happen?

"I think there are two reasons for that, and I've spoken to many lifelong Conservative voters about this.

"Standards in public life have fallen, with people in high places getting criminal records.

"And sound money - many people believed the Conservatives would at least be able to keep taxes low and run a safe economy. But the economy was crashed two years ago.

"Those two things have, I think, blown trust in the Conservatives, and in the meantime we have a Labour party that once again has put itself to the service of the people.

"It's no longer arguing amongst itself, we're united because we've got a common cause - service."

When the Conservatives won in 2019, many people thought it would take two elections for Labour to win a majority. At what point did you think it would be possible for Labour to win a majority this time around?

"I'll tell you when I really began to think that - it's when we elected Keir Starmer as leader. He said it, and people supporting him in the party said it, nothing's impossible if you have a plan. And he did have a plan.

"It was in three stages. Firstly, get the party united and looking out to the people again. Secondly, hold the government to account as a responsible opposition. And thirdly, set out a long-term vision so that we can move the country in a different direction. He's done all three."

The big story tonight is the expected Labour landslide; the other story is the rise of Reform UK, reflected here in Stevenage where they came a strong third. Is that something that concerns you?

"Look, any organisation that is populist and plays to people's fears and anxieties with simplistic solutions which, when you examine them, don't add up, that is something we have to guard against and fight against.

"And the only way I think we can do that is by showing the work that's needed, by delivering on the promises we made - and that's why you need to keep them realistic - and that will rebuild that trust which, I think, has led many people with understandable frustrations to choose more extreme, populist alternatives.

"That's not healthy for our democracy, and I know I've got a special responsibility with my fellow new MPs to show that hardworking, serious politicians do have a place in politics, and I really hope we can prove that in years to come.

It's a big moment for you personally. Do you get any time off now before  you start the hard work?

"I'm not aware I'm going to get any time off right now! We've got a lot of work to do, and we have to get those plans in place. Once we've got them in place, then we can have a break - we all deserve a break, all of us, we're all human beings, and I'm looking forward to that when it comes, but right now my focus is on how do I start delivering, getting those personal pledges into place for Stevenage, getting into parliament, and starting work on delivering our manifesto for change."